Orienting core barrel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IA/vE/vTaRs. C. H. SWEET. L. S. iHH/11155115.

Apnl 16, 1940.v

C. H. SWEET ET AL ORIENTING CORE BARREL Fil'ed June 1l, 1937 April 16,1940. c. H. swEl-:T E-r A1. y 2,197,062

ORIENTINGv CORE BARREL Filed June 11,-1937 2 sheets-sheet 2 '2% 4 IH l14V?? "nu nl".

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l A Y gfx/vigna /7 7' TOR/VE] Patented'Apr. 16, 1940 Y y a UNITEDsTATEsPATENT OFFICE ORIENTING CORE BARREL Cecil Howard Sweet, HuntingtonPark, and

Lawrence Shiner Chambers, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 11, 1937, Serial No. 147,704

Claims. (Cl. Z55-J2) This invention relates to an orienting core catcheror fingers 3.l A plug 4 is mounted in the barrel. The prime object ofwhich is to enable head 2 and this plug is provided with an annutheoperator to determine the strike or direction lar shoulder 5 at theupper end, to be engaged of the formation from which the core is taken.by the lingers 3. The plug is held in position 5 An object of ourinvention is to provide al at the core head 2 by lmeans of a pluralityof 5 novel orienting core barrel in which a mark on shear pins 6. Acoremarking pin I extends into the formation is aligned with a surveyinstrument a bore 8 in the bottom of the plug 4. The pin is in such amanner that the picture taken by the held in position by a, shear pin 9and a coil survey instrument will impart knowledge to the spring I0bears against the top of the pin for 10 operator, relative to the strikeor direction of the the purpose of urging the pin outwardly as will l0formation, be further described; The pin 'l has a peculiar Still anotherobject is to provide a novel orientshape or conformation, for example,it might be ing core barrel of the character stated in which fiat on oneside. A second coil spring II enthe survey instrument is alwayspositioned in a circles the pin 'l and extends slightly below the l5known relation to a marker arranged at the tip of this pin. When thecore barrel is dropped l5 lower end of the core barrel. v or spudded inthe formation, the pin 9 is rst Stillv another object is to provide acore barrel sheared, whereupon thespring I0 presses the pin of thecharacter stated in which a survey indownwardly so that it remains vinthe formastrument is lowered into the barrel, after the tion. The springII iscompressed. vThe pins Ii barrel has been run into a well,thereafter takare sheared oif as additional weight is exerted, 20 ing apicture with the survey instrument, said and when these pins shear,` therecoil of the spring picture giving'information relative tothe strike IIwill throw the plug 4 upwardly into the core or direction of theformation. Thereafter raisbarrel I, thus leaving thebarrel free toreceive ing the survey instrument to the surface and the core as thebarrelis subsequently rotated to then continuing the coring operationwith the recover asample of the formation. To the upper 25 core barrel.end of the barrel I, weattach a pipe section I2 A feature of ourinvention resides in the ability and the drill pipe is attached to the'upper end touse a standard core barrel and to arrange in of the pipe I2by the usual joint or coupling I3. 4 that barrel a punching block andsuper-impos- A non-magnetic sleeve I4 is xedly secured Withing on thebarrel, a receiver for the survey inin the pipe section I2. A means ofsecuring the 30 strument and thus orient the core which is resleevemight be anannular nut I5 which screwsV covered in the standard or usualcore barrel. into the pipe and against aA shoulder I6 on lthe Otherobjects, advantages and features of insleeve. The sleeve is providedwith a longitudivention` may appear from the accompanying nal slot orgroove I1 'and the upper end is tapered drawings, the subjoineddetaileddescription and as 4shown at I8 forthewpurpose of?A guiding the 35 theappended claims. a survey instrument as'will be further'described.

In the drawings-y f I 1 A survey instrument I9; preferably of any wellFigure 1 is a diagrammaticA longitudinalsecknown single shot.ty`pe,i`slowered into the tional viewv of our orientingv core barrel. drill pipevon a cab1e`g20.l yAug orroller' 2l pro- 40 Figure 2 is a fragmentarylongitudinal sectional .jects from lthe shellof thsurvey'in'strument and40 view of the upper portion ofthe core barrel. as the instrument"` islowered into thefts/ell,r this Figure 3 is ra fragmentary longitudinalsec- ,roller engages thetapered surface `Iil'and is gu'id-ftional viewof the lower part ofthe core barrel. ed into the' i slot I1'. Thisslot"-l lt'lfl isy arrangedv Figure -4 `is a longitudinal sectional Viewof the in a fixed'and known-position,` relative' tothe pin y 45non-magnetic sleeve showing the survey instru- 1. For example, the/slotcan be aligned with the 45 ment in side elevation. flat side of the pin.When vthe suri'reyinstrumentY Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinalsectional is in position, aslshown in Figure 2, it will vthen view ofthe lower part of a punch core barrel. be in a known position relative"to.` vv'the pin'` 1.'

Figure 6 is a, fragmentary longitudinal sectional The Survey instrumentIIS -COIIGaS "2Q COm'pass' `j view of still another type-of punch corebarrel. which is photographed Aasthevinstrument comesf 50 Referring moreparticularly to the drawings, to rest within our oorewbarrel. Thecompass; p the numeral I indicates .a-core barrel of usual as well asthe photographic mechanism,l is not and well known construction. Thecore barrel Shown Since it iS usualand Well'kIlOWni The P- carries theusual core header -cutter 2. Within eration of the barrelzpreviouslydescribed is as the core head, there is provided the usual core follows:a 55 i The barrel is lowered into the well on the drill pipe in theusual and well known manner. When bottom is reached, the barrel israised above the bottom of the hole, a distance of several feet6 'I'hetool is allowed to remain in this position until the timing mechanism ofthe survey instrument has operated and a picture is taken of thecompass. The survey instrument is then withdrawn from the hole and thecoring operation continues in the usual and well known manner. After thecore has been taken, it is raised to the surface. The pin l eitherremains in the top of the core or the peculiar imprint of the pin willbe evident in the top of the core. From the developed picture in thesurvey instrument, which can be aligned with the roller 2| simply bymarking the survey instrument in the usual and well known manner, it ispossible to place the core and the picture from the survey instrument inexactly the position they occupied when the core barrel was rst spuddeddown. Thus, the exact strike or position geographically that it occupiedin its natural state, will be shown, thereby permitting the operator toobserve carefully and accurately the angle of inclination and themagnetic bearing of the axis or plane'of the formation.

It is obvious that the survey instrument may also include aninclinometer for the purpose of determining the inclination at thebottom of the hole, so that the core can be straightened when on thesurface to accurately conform to its positiony when in its naturalstate.

In Figures 5 and 6, we have illustrated a punch core type of barrel inwhich a sub 22 is attached to the lower end of the pipe section l2.punch core barrel 23 is secured to the lower end of the sub 22. The subisy provided with a central uid passage 24 and with iluid outlets 2,5 atthe lower end. The barrel 23 is provided with a marker 26, either on theinside or outside of the barrel and preferably the outside as shown.marker may, consist of a Single rib or the like and this rib is alignedor arranged in a. knownv position relative to the .Slot .Il in thenon-magnetic sleeve [4. Relief ports 2,1 are provided at the upper' endot the. barrel 23.

In 6 the punch core barrel 2.8 is at: tached to the plug- 2,9 which tsinto the lower Aoud of the usualoore barrel. '111e plus, 2Q. is' heldin. position br the baile@ whieh normally.. 4reati iu ndenta'oious. inthe wall o1? the core barrel ehoe al. einer the cere, taken in thebarrel ze..

rotation ofv the 'shoe a|..w'i.11jreuac.tthe. balls 3io and.thereafterthe nlug y2o and` the barrel man Slide upwardly .into the.'stadard oore barrel. above tbeehoo. 3|, s o'that a regular core eau betaker1 after. the runen .oo're Sample has.. heee reoovered-, '111ebarrel 2.6.1 ie. provided with relief.. ports 3.2; at the. upper. ejud.thereof. so thatv a. full ore can. be taken th ein.

1.a operation. the fool. lowered into me. wen.,

together'. with the'. survex? ioetuimeao I9- @he tool is So.. ed down.aafla Puueh ooreis tatoutlie, too1is. in this IDoeitio.11,. the time.meohf aaien.; iu the Survey instrument. takes. 'its pile ure.

The 'entire tool.. is thou `rotu`rued to the Surface and the. Samplerecovered in the punch coreba'rrel and arranged in known relation toeach plus. compressed by other and thus the strike or axis of the coredformation can be determined.

When a standard core barrel is then run into the hole and the rregularcorevtaken, the mark made by the punch core barrel will be apparent 5 inthe core and again the regular core can be compared with the picture ofthe survey instrument to determine its strike.

In the modication shown in Figure @theA punch core is rst taken and theregular core is next taken without having to remove the instrument fromthe well'. 'Ihe method of aligning the punch core with the surveyinstrument is the same as previously described.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In an orienting corel barrel, a pipe section at the upper end of thecore'barrel adapted to receive a survey instrument lowered from thesurface on a line, aligning means in the pipe section engageable by thesurvey instrument where- 20 by the survey instrument is positioned in aknown c position in the core barrel and core marking means on the corebarrel and means releasably holding the core marking means inthe lowerend of the core barrel, said core marking means being adapted andarranged to move upwardly into the core barrel when released, and aspring on the lower end of the core marking means compressed by contactwith the top of the uncut core to cause said upward movement of the coremarkingmeans in a sudden manner when the -releasable means is released.

2. In an orienting core barrel, a pipe section arranged at the upper endof the core barrel, said pipe section beingr adapted and arranged toreceive a survey instrument lowered from the surface on a line, mountingmeans in the pipe section to receive the survey instrument and coremarking means on the lower end of the core barrel, aligning means in thepipe section engageable by the. Survey flu. .1r\u1,1e1.1t.wherebyA the'by oontaetwuh. the fori ofthe Said upward. ,movement 'of means in arsudden manner when the` reeas means` is. fel

receiving r'har el. upper endo; thev ba yto thi? P1115 an@ A plus, said.release including. Shear ripe. iuto. the Plug; aud SP Surface on. aline.alig.. t. v section venegagealirle by the survey i whereby the surveyinstument isv positioned-in known position in the core barrel, a plug releasably mounted in the lower end o1' ,the core barrel, said plugprojecting below the core barrel, core marking means carried by the plugand shear pins extending into the plug, said pins, when sheared,releasing the plug Afor upward movement into the core barrel, and aspring on the lower end of the plug compressed by contact with the topof the uncut core to' cause said upward movement of the plug in a suddenmanner when said pins shear.

5. In an orientlng core barrel, a plug mounted in the lower end of thecore barrel, said plug extending below the core barrel, shear pinsextending finto the plug, said pins, when sheared, permitting upwardmovement of the plug into the core barrel, and a. spring on the lowerend o f the plug compressed by contact with the top of the uncut coretocause said upward movement of the plug in a sudden manner when said pinsshear n CECIL HOWARD SWEET.

LAWRENCE SHINER. CHAMBERS.

